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The Great Rebellion (Season 4)
'The Great Rebellion' A hundred years have passed since the fall of the Shadow Dragon, Istraza. Many had fought for peace. For a better tomorrow. Many had fought to preserve a world in which all people everywhere could live, shoulder to shoulder, standing tall. Many had fought, and believed they would never fight again. Many did not survive. The survivors of the Rise of the Shadow Dragon were the warriors and the soldiers; the mad and the ruthless. The world they inherited was ripe for conquest, and they descended upon it like ravenous flies. Chief among the surviving warlords was the King of the Western Empire. With the removal of Baron von Steigerwald, the King was free to spread his reign across the whole of the continent of Comairos, and the world was unable to contest his rule. He declared himself the First Emperor, and his armies swiftly enveloped the Swamplands to the south and the Arcane Scar to the far east. The Wardens of the Swamplands were already Imperial citizens, and they returned home to found a great paladin order to protect against further attacks from the shadows. The Arcanists, however, had committed terrible crimes in their mission to defeat Istraza. When the Arcane Scar was conquered, however, they were shocked to find themselves welcomed into the Empire with open arms, rather than arrest and execution. The First Emperor had great use for the Arcanist's advanced technologies, and was willing to overlook their crimes for the sake of unmitigated progress. Still, the people who had lived under the Arcanist's thumb during the rise of Istraza would have to be appeased: the Emperor's answer was to imprison and execute dozens of lesser servents and assistants, while the senior ranks of the mages remained untouched. Then, the Empire turned its great eyes upon the Frozen North. Most of the brave warriors of the north had died trying to subdue the Ancient Curse, and when the Empire's armies arrived there were too few to oppose them. The Arcanist technologies were too powerful, and in a series of terrible battles, all of Valhalla's Chosen were sent to their gods. The people of the north proved too resistant to Imperial rule, however, and after a number of major rebellions the Emperor chose to evict the entire population of the north, and scatter them in ghettos throughout the Empire. Lost and abused, the northern peoples forsook all that made them what they were. Their culture gone, all memory of the Frozen Curse and the eternal realm of Valhalla were lost forever. Once the Empire was spread from coast to coast of Comairos, they began to build vast cities, incorporating Arcanist technologies to automate large parts of society. It was a revolution of technological marvels, with the human cost hidden in the dark corners of the realm. But not hidden from everyone: not all of the Arcanists spared the hangman's noose had later agreed to continue their horrible experiments for the Emperor. A few believed that what they had done to stop Istraza was abominable, and that the rest of the Arcanists were monsters for continuing their experiments for no other reason then because they could. These few righteous men and women went on to oppose the Arcanists in every way they could; but, they were forced to do so in secret, as the Empire had grown protective of their cruel researchers. This secret society became known as the Order of the Lightbringers, and they would continue to operate from the shadows until the present day. Despite the decades of diligent resistance, and generations of spies and intrigue, the Lightbringers would not achieve lasting success until just eight years ago. Eight years ago, the Second Emperor was slain. The exact details remain confused and uncertain, but the courts declared that the Second Emperor's eldest son was responsible for the crime. Unable to execute one of Royal blood, the courts of the Empire exiled him to the distant Ninja-Pirate Islands, where they presumed he would be lost to history. With the elder son out of the way, the younger son was crowned as the Third Emperor, and took command in his father's place. It was then that the corruption of the Empire became clear. The Third Emperor unleashed a reign of terror upon the Empire, clamping down on the common people with an iron fist. His police state was enforced by an enthusiastic Imperial Service, who were given orders only to maintain order, at any cost. The Royal Arcanists were handed the wealth of the Empire on a silver platter, encouraged to new levels of depravity in their experiments and discoveries. And worst of all, the floundering Wardens, the defenders of light and good, became corrupted by meddling and the replacement of their leadership. The once holy order became rife with cults and dark rituals, becoming the very thing they had fought so hard to destroy. During all of this, there were whispers that all of this was planned. The court's decision on the guilt of the Exiled Prince came very quickly, and the rumors of corruption in the legal system had intensified around that time. Some parts of the Exile's defense had been strangely ignored, and there are downright contradictions in the story assuring his guilt. At the same time, there are a few sources that swear that the Third Emperor's foster father--a legendary scout and hunter--was actually responsible for the Second Emperor's death. Bit by bit, the truth became known: the son had arranged the death of his own father, and ensured that his elder brother was blamed for the deed. This was the last straw. The people of the Empire begen to organize in secret. Meetings were arranged, and actions were taken. The name of the Exiled Prince was whispered often behind closed doors, and he became a sort of messiah; one to save them all from the terrors of their every day. At the same time, the Emperor was cursed as a betrayer and kinslayer, and became known as the Traitor Emperor among the rebellious factions of Comairos. It all came to a head when the Exiled Prince announced his return to Comairos. He had united the Ninjas and Pirates together, and with this elite force, he would invade the Empire, and retake his throne. The people rallied behind his message, and the three major organizations opposing the Traitor Emperor rose from obscurity to become a true threat to the Empire. Now is the time! With the return of the Exiled Prince and the fall of the Traitor Emperor, peace can once again be found on Comairos! People of the Empire, now is the time to fight! It is the time for justice, vengence, and redemption! It is time for the Great Rebellion!